I'm working with InDesign CS6 and have several 130 page docs that need consecutive numbers. For example, each page in doc 1 has numbers 1-12 on each page and doc 2 has numbers 13-24 on each page. I have to make pages that number up to 800 and am trying to avoid "hand" numbering. Can I do use list numbering from the master page or does numbering such as this have to come from the pages? Thanks!

That's what I thought, but I must be doing something wrong because it's not working. After reviewing the Document Numbering Options from the book file (see below), I selected the first file as the style source, selected all docs in the book, and synchronized. But when I open any of the other docs in the book, they all begin with 1. again.

You can't attach images, you have to embed them inthe post with the camera icon on the web page, like this:

You need to check the numbering options in both the individual docs (they need to be set to automatic numbering) and the Book panel Book Page Numbering Options (from the panel menu), which should be set to continue from previous and automatic updating. If it's not working it's almost certainly a setting error.

Let's back up a minute. Are you trying to use a numbered list to add page numbers? If so, don't. Put a text frame where you want the number, add any text that should appear before it, then right-click and choose Insert Special Character > Markers > Current Page Number.

I'm sorry, I don't think I was clear initially. I don't want to add page numbers, but rather numbers that I can set to automatically update for each file in a series of files. Each file contains 12 numbers (1-12, 13-24, etc.), up to 800. Below is a sample of my master page. The numbers flow through the three columns and will appear in the same position on each of the 53 pages in the document (on the body pages, only the date changes on each page). Thanks for your persistence and patience!

I'm sorry, I totally misunderstood, and I'm not really sure it's your original explanation. I'm very brain-dead this week.

So you want a numbered list that updates across files... I don't think that's possible, but I don't do a lot with numbered lists. If we're lucky, one of the folks who does (paging Peter Gold....) will teach us both how it's done. Otherwise, my thought is your best bet might be to ask if it's scriptable over in InDesign Scripting